A Year in the Life- Part 11- The Zahhaks
by kaybee613
Summary: Equius and Horuss are not very popular. Maybe it's because of their disdain for those "socially lower" than them. Maybe it's because of their strict father. But whatever the reason, it certainly makes relationships difficult.


It shouldn't have been a dreary day. It was the middle of summer. But what made it so melancholy was the same thing that made every other Sunday melancholy. Equius and Horuss were in the hospital visiting their mother. It was always so quiet, her heart monitor's beeping being the only sound in the room. Equius was aware that his father had stepped out of the room, discussing something with her doctors, as he'd been doing more and more frequently. The bills were getting high, even for a family as rich as them, since she'd been on life support for almost two years. It was beginning to make Equius nervous; he had a feeling his dad was getting close to pulling the plug. Horuss usually at least talked to their mother, regardless of the fact that she was cognizant of actually zero percent of what was happening, but that day he was silent, likely with similar thoughts taxing his mind. Horuss was always so hard to read, always putting on this front that everything was fine. Even then, as he stood in the hospital room, Horuss was smiling. Equius truly didn't know what to make of it, as the situation was clearly somewhat dire. After another moment, their father re-entered the room.  
"Say goodbye to your mother, boys. We must go."  
Equius just glanced at his mother, reaching out for her hand. She was colder than he was, though her heart still beat.

His mother wasn't the only thing on Equius' mind that day. He'd also been thinking about a friend of his. Well, really she was the friend of a friend of a friend. He'd never been particularly close to most of the people he hung out with at school, but Nepeta was much more social than he, and of course he got dragged into all kinds of things. That was how he met Aradia, and just as they were finishing eighth grade a couple months ago, he began thinking of her in a different way. After taking a logical look at his feelings, he determined that the feelings he was having was a crush. Of course, his best friend Nepeta was much more well versed in the realm of romance than he was, and of course, he'd been too embarrassed to consult with her about it. Not embarrassed of having a crush, but rather, embarrassed of _who_ he had a crush on. Aradia and her family, they were just so…low. So, no, Equius hadn't told anyone yet, not even Nepeta. Speaking of Nepeta, he hadn't talked to her at all that day. It felt unnatural. Despite their differences, they were very much attached, and during school, you'd almost never see the one without the other. But during the summer, Equius was kept busy and Nepeta had her family. Equius slid his phone out of his pocket, ignoring the silent glare his father was giving him from the front passenger's seat.

centaursTesticle [CT] began pestering arsenicCatnip [AC]

CT: Good afternoon, Nepeta.  
CT: I hope you are having a pleasant time with your family.  
AC: hi equius!  
AC: i was just pawndering if id hear from you today!  
CT: Yes, well, as you're aware, I've been kept quite busy with programs my father insists on enrolling me in every summer.  
AC: i knowwwwww  
AC: ive hardly seen you!  
AC: *ac pouts a bit*  
CT: None of that.  
CT: You know it's not my fault.  
AC: you could just tell you dad you dont WANT to go to hockey camp or whatever nonsense hes running you ragged with  
AC: you big dumb stinky butt  
CT: Nepeta, please, we have talked about this.  
CT: My father is quite controlling.  
CT: He will not cotton well to me resisting.  
AT: And it is archery class in the summer.  
AC: pfft you suck at archery  
CT: No.  
AC: yes  
CT: No.  
AC: yes  
CT: No.  
AC: yes  
CT: No I don't.  
AC: yesssss yes yes yes  
AC: have you ever even successfully fired an arrow?  
AC: like actually got one to leave the bow?  
AC: what the hell is that about?  
CT: Nepeta, what did I say about that awful language?  
AC: oops  
AC: sorry :(

CT: Your fraternization with the lower class has loosened your morals, can't you see this?  
AC: but it doesnt matter!  
AC: most of my tossed-together family IS what youd define as lower class  
AC: i guess you think karkat is, anyway  
CT: Yuck.  
CT: Don't pollute my incoming data stream with his name.  
AC: i don't understand why you dislike him so much!  
AC: sure he is cranky, but i think he is fun!  
AC: he even plays silly purrtend games with me, even if in a grumpy and insincere way  
AC: which is more than i can say for YOU, sweatquius :P  
CT: We will never agree about him, it seems.  
AC: yes, it DOES seem  
AC: hes not as bad as you seem to think  
CT: i think he is a negative influence on you, and you don't know any better.  
CT: Which is why I am here to look out for you.  
AC: ahahaha, no  
AC: everyone knows youre a creep and a weirdo  
AC: which is why YOURE lucky to have ME to keep an eye on YOU  
CT: I do not need you to keep an eye on me, or any of our supposed friends.  
AC: but  
AC: they ARE our furriends  
AC: i was even thinking of joining terezi and vriskers and i guess Eridan when they play dnd  
CT: The thought of you fraternizing with and abetting those hooligans strikes me as scandal beyond measure.  
CT: I'm afraid you're too delicate to withstand that sort of corruption.  
CT: It's forbidden.  
AC: nuh uuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhh  
CT: Yes.  
CT: You won't.  
AC: no  
AC: i will  
CT: You won't.  
AC: you cant stop me!  
CT: I am telling you not to.  
AC: blllllllraaaaaaawwwllrrrrghggghghgh

arsenicCatnip [AC] has ceased pestering centaursTesticle [CT]

"Who are you talking to?" Horuss asked, leaning over from the other seat.  
"Nepeta."  
"I don't understand how you can be such good friends with one of such low standing," their father muttered from the front seat.  
"I don't see why you take issue with my friendship, but not with Horuss' friendship with the older Ms. Leijon, nor his relationship with Mr. Nitram, who comes from a family of an unquestionably lower status," Equius answered, his voice deadpan. Horuss wilted a bit, sinking in his seat, lest he be bereaved by their father. Instead, the discussion was once again replaced by silence as their chauffeur-slash-butler, Aurthour, drove them to the same upscale restaurant they went to every night after visiting Mother. Mr. Zahhak was nothing if not a master of routine. Their meal was just as tense as their drive had been. After a while, Mr. Zahhak spoke.  
"Session at Skaia High begins tomorrow. I expect both of you to be ready to leave the house with Aurthour by 7:30 AM. Should I hear that either of you are late, or any issues arise from your teachers, consequences will be swift."  
"Yes, sir," both Equius and Horuss answered in unison. Equius chose against mentioning the fact that he'd never attended Skaia High and was bound to get lost at least once. There was no point in upsetting his father, especially since it did not seem like things were going well with Mother. And the matter of his crush was weighing greatly on Equius' mind. He was going to see her at school tomorrow, without a doubt, and he needed advice. But somehow, he didn't think Nepeta would understand his internal conflict about it. With any luck, another friend would. A friend he just so happened to be neighbors with. And she just so happened to be on her way out as Equius returned home.

"Hey Eq," Vriska said, notably missing her typical grin.  
"Hello, Miss Serket. I have a question for you."  
"Ok, shoot."  
There was a reason he was asking Vriska, of all people. It wasn't because they were particularly close; it was because she dealt with a similar situation of romance and class disparity. "Well, there seems to be something of a relationship between you and Mr. Nitram, correct?" Perhaps this was not the right thing to say, as Vriska suddenly looked quite angry.  
"And what business is that of yours?"  
"I am only asking because… people of our social standing—you and me, I mean… it is just. Oh fiddlesticks."  
"Spit it _out,_ Zahhak."  
"Do you have difficulties acknowledging your feelings for someone of such a low social standing?" Vriska paused for a moment, and Equius could feel her cold judgement. That wasn't an uncommon feeling from Vriska. And then she laughed derisively.  
"Do yo uactually believe the classist garbage that comes out of your mouth, or is this just a load of shit? Look, just because we have money and big houses and stuff doesn't mean _anything._ If you like someone and they're, like 'low-class' or whatever, who cares!" Equius sighed a bit. It wasn't quite the advice he was looking for. But even though they were of high social-standing, the Serkets weren't exactly well-mannered, so it didn't come as much of a surprise. "So who is it?"  
Of course she would ask. "Uh… it's Miss Droog."  
"Hm. Interesting."  
"Do you have any… advice?"  
"Why don't you fucking ask Nepeta? She's _way_ better at this romance stuff than me." Equius felt his face blush a bit. Nepeta would only admonish him for taking societal placements so seriously. "Besides, it's not like that with me and Tavros. Just talk to her."  
"Very well. But might I remind you that you do owe me a favor?" He was speaking, of course, of the enhanced prosthetic he'd provided for her after her arm got amputated. Sadly there was nothing he could do to fix her eye.  
" _Fine,"_ Vriska admitted through grit teeth. "If shit goes south, I'll help. But for now, I gotta go." Equius nodded as Vriska walked off, and he went into his own house, immediately heading upstairs into his room. His backpack was already packed and his books set out for the morning, so there was nothing left to prepare. He glanced over at his desk, unfinished projects awaiting his attention, but instead of continuing on his robotics, he pulled out a sketchbook from an often-neglected drawer and began sketching, to calm his nerves. The first day of school was always an event. Something was bound to go wrong.


End file.
